1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to machines and methods for removing constituent materials and supporting elements from substantially vertical surfaces.
2. Scope and Usage of Certain Terms
The following lexicon sets forth the intended scope and meaning of certain terms and concepts used herein. Examples provided are intended to clarify and not to limit the meaning of the respective term. The definitions set forth here include the singular, plural, and grammatical variations and congeners of the terms defined.
“Wall” and “substantially vertical surface” are used herein interchangeably to mean any surface amenable to being deconstructed by the present invention, and specifically walls and surfaces having an upright orientation within about 45 degrees of plumb.
“Deconstruction” refers to the process of dismantling a wall or portion of a wall by removing its constituent material and supporting elements. “Constituent material” refers to the ground substance constituting the wall, such as concrete, brick, mortar, and the like. “Supporting elements” refers to rebar or other supporting materials that contribute to the structure of the wall.
“Workface” refers to a portion of a wall that is to be deconstructed by the present invention.
“Erosive material” is a generic term referring to any suitable material, whether a solid, liquid, or gas, that can be forced through a nozzle at high pressure to produce a sufficiently forceful jet stream required to erode the constituent substance of the wall. Although the preferred erosive material with respect to the present invention is water, the scope of the disclosure and claims includes any material that can be used to deconstruct a wall using the machine and method disclosed and claimed. “Jet stream” refers to a jet stream of an erosive material.
“Static support-frame” refers to a support-frame that has the characteristics of being stationary, free-standing, and immovable during the deconstruction process. More specifically, after it has been set into position adjacent a workface, the static support-frame is not lifted up and down along the workface by a crane, cherry-picker, or other lift means, nor is the static support-frame mounted on a vehicle or otherwise mobile for moving along the wall during the deconstruction process.
“Work platform” refers to a substantially horizontal, flat surface upon which one or more workers stand to gain access to a workface.
“Along the length” refers to a type or direction of movement of one element with respect to a reference element. Thus, the phrase does not imply, and is not meant to imply, that a first element traverses the entire length of the reference element. Movement “along the workface” refers to movement of an element that is, in relevant part, along or substantially within the boundaries of the workface. The terms “along the length” and “along the workface” do not imply, and are not meant to imply, that the moved element necessarily rides upon or is in contact the reference element or workface.